The book hovered. Hermione moved down the aisle, walking carefully toward the text. Close enough to grasp it, and she read the spine.

Mind Tricks for Beginners.

Her heart stuttered in her chest as she reached for the thin book. It fell into her hands like an apple from a tree. She stared at the cover blankly for a minute before darting her head around the corner—perhaps a member of the family was playing tricks on her? But there was no one there. Hermione retreated from view and flipped to the table of contents, fingers trembling.

Occlumency and Legilimency.

A book on shielding one's thoughts. Hermione frowned, wondering if the library catalogue provided help without prompting.

Occlumency would be the best protection from Voldemort's probing, but it was a magical ability. And she didn't have magic. Nor did she have the time for the years of study it would take to keep Voldemort out of her mind entirely.

She read the chapter titles:
Meditation
Clearing Your Mind
Walls and Doorways

From the little she knew of Occlumency from her own reading and Harry's lessons, it required a focused mind. She used to bite back a remark whenever Harry moaned about Snape's methods, certain that her mind—her disciplined mind—could have succeeded with far less whinging.

She looked around the library again for other hovering books, half expecting Harry to emerge from his Invisibility Cloak, teasing her about spending all day amongst the books.

The space behind her eyes burned and she swallowed, blinking rapidly. She looked down again with blurry eyes. The first chapters sounded simple enough, possibly non-magical meditation.

Hermione slid the thin book into a large fiction, and began her slow journey back to her room.

She was just passing several doors that she knew lead to private studies and lounges when she heard voices. Narcissa's melodic hum pierced the cracks in the door and Hermione stilled, listening with held breath.

"Why does it have to be you?" Narcissa said sharply.

"Why does it have to be any of us?" Lucius replied. "He's probably fallen asleep in his dinner somewhere. Or had a heart attack while with one of his paid Muggle whores."

"Lucius, this could be serious."

Hermione pressed closer, her ears straining as Lucius mumbled something low and placating.

"How long?" Narcissa asked.

"A week," Lucius said, his voice closer to the door. Hermione jumped back, frozen in horror— but it seemed that Lucius was pacing. His voice distant again as he said, "He's ignored three summons."

Hermione's eyes widened at her shoes, books pressed tight to her chest. A Death Eater had been ignoring Voldemort?

"Something's happened to him, Lucius. He would never defy the Dark Lord." And then under her breath: "He doesn't have the brains for that."

Lucius hissed at her. "None of that. We are in no position to think those thoughts."

A long pause. Then Narcissa sighed. "How long will you be gone?"

"Just overnight."

"Can't you take someone with you? Yaxley?"